New Trial Ordered In Murder Of Escambia County Man Set On Fire

March 5, 2016

Pointing to questions about mental competency, an appeals court Friday ordered a new trial for a man convicted in the 2011 murder in Escambia County of a victim who was beaten and set on fire.

Sergio Dupree Moorer was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in the slaying of John D. Hall.

But a three-judge panel of the strict First District Court of Appeal ruled Friday that a circuit judge erred by not holding a competency hearing for Moorer. The ruling said two experts evaluated Moorer and came to different conclusions about whether he was competent to stand trial.

“In light of the conflicting reports, during a May 6, 2013, status conference, defense counsel and the state agreed it would be necessary for the trial court to set a date to hold a competency hearing; yet, no competency hearing was ever held,” said Friday’s ruling, written by Judge Ronald Swanson and joined by judges Joseph Lewis and Thomas Winokur. “Instead, 15 months later, in August 2014, appellant (Moorer) went to trial and was found guilty by a jury of the … crimes.”

Hall was found on August 21, 2011, in a wooded area near the Marcus Pointe apartment complex. Last seen alive the day before, Hall had been beaten and burned beyond recognition.

Hall’s vehicle was located four days later by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in the Oakstead Mobile Home Park on Massachusetts Avenue. Moorer was inside the vehicle and fled on foot as deputies arrived. After a short foot chase, he was taken into custody.

Comments

9 Responses to “New Trial Ordered In Murder Of Escambia County Man Set On Fire”

  1. Patriot on March 5th, 2016 2:18 pm

    Y’all are confusing competency with insanity.

    Insanity is a defense, competency is whether or not you can assist with your defense at your trial. If you’re deemed incompetent, you’re committed until you become competent…then you stand trial.

  2. Billy D on March 5th, 2016 1:48 pm

    too bad when they’re deemed incompetent on this kind of trial it doesn’t mean that they get to meet the same fate as their victims. This guy is a straight up murderer and deserves to die a slow and painful death like the one he inflicted. The judges that see this otherwise should have to bear the burden of his crime as well now.

  3. Terri Sanders on March 5th, 2016 11:23 am

    He was competent enough to strike a match…End of discussion…

  4. Rodney on March 5th, 2016 10:41 am

    Would those representing criminals with mental illness work as diligently to free them if their mental incompetancy allowed release and they moved in next door?

  5. mq on March 5th, 2016 10:33 am

    For most heinous crimes I believe there is some degree of incompetence or mental illness. You don’t do such things if you are sane. Just saying!!
    So, I guess all criminals need to be freed (sarcasm).

  6. Jonathan Allen on March 5th, 2016 7:06 am

    This guy ran from deputies when they found him in the victims car, which is proof he knew what he did was wrong. There’s your competency hearing. Besides, if he’s not competent enough to know that beating somebody then setting them on fire is wrong he has no business being in the free world anyway.

  7. Jane on March 5th, 2016 5:38 am

    Regardless of how mentally competant this person is, he needs to kept off the streets. Anyone capable of beating a person to death and setting them on fire belongs in jail. Where else would they keep them?

  8. 429SCJ on March 5th, 2016 5:00 am

    That demon burned a man alive. He was competent enough to do that.

    I cannot see how another trial for this, would serve anything other than a liberal agenda.

  9. No way on March 5th, 2016 4:41 am

    I call the bluff on this one . Most likely guilty . If he can go for incompetent then why can’t every body else ?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News